The Ministry of National Defense is considering the first-ever contacts between the military and China’s People’s Liberation Army, but has set no timetable for any meetings, a senior defense official said yesterday.
Ministry of National Defense spokeswoman Lisa Chi (池玉蘭) said the ministry would start with bilateral contacts between retired and junior military officers and “then move on to high-level meetings between senior officials.”
“No timetable has been set for the military exchange,” Chi said.
A schedule would only come “after the government holds discussions on economic and political issues with China,” Chi said.
TV news reports showed Minister of National Defense Chen Chao-min (陳肇敏) telling local reporters on Tuesday that meetings between senior officials from the two sides would help reduce misunderstandings and the possibility of either side resorting to force.
President Ma Ying-jeou (馬英九) said earlier this year that he wants to push for discussions with China on economic issues first and then proceed to thorny diplomatic and security issues.
He also said he hoped to sign a formal peace treaty with Beijing, though without specifying what it might contain.
Within a month of his inauguration on May 20, Ma sent a delegation to Beijing to resume bilateral talks after a hiatus of almost 10 years.
The talks facilitated regular weekend charter flights across the Strait were facilitated and made it possible for more Chinese tourists to visit Taiwan.
Next week, Association for Relations Across the Taiwan Strait Chairman Chen Yunlin (陳雲林) will visit Taiwan.
Taiwanese officials have said the talks will focus only on economic issues, including the expansion of weekend charter flights to weekday service.
Three Taiwanese airlines have prohibited passengers from packing Bluetooth earbuds and their charger cases in checked luggage. EVA Air and Uni Air said that Bluetooth earbuds and charger cases are categorized as portable electronic devices, which should be switched off if they are placed in checked luggage based on international aviation safety regulations. They must not be in standby or sleep mode. However, as charging would continue when earbuds are placed in the charger cases, which would contravene international aviation regulations, their cases must be carried as hand luggage, they said. Tigerair Taiwan said that earbud charger cases are equipped
Foreign travelers entering Taiwan on a short layover via Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport are receiving NT$600 gift vouchers from yesterday, the Tourism Administration said, adding that it hopes the incentive would boost tourism consumption at the airport. The program, which allows travelers holding non-Taiwan passports who enter the country during a layover of up to 24 hours to claim a voucher, aims to promote attractions at the airport, the agency said in a statement on Friday. To participate, travelers must sign up on the campaign Web site, the agency said. They can then present their passport and boarding pass for their connecting international
Temperatures in northern Taiwan are forecast to reach as high as 30°C today, as an ongoing northeasterly seasonal wind system weakens, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said. CWA forecaster Tseng Chao-cheng (曾昭誠) said yesterday that with the seasonal wind system weakening, warmer easterly winds would boost the temperature today. Daytime temperatures in northern Taiwan and Yilan County are expected to range from 28°C to 30°C today, up about 3°C from yesterday, Tseng said. According to the CWA, temperature highs in central and southern Taiwan could stay stable. However, the weather is expected to turn cooler starting tonight as the northeasterly wind system strengthens again
Taiwan sweltered through its hottest October on record, the Central Weather Administration (CWA) said yesterday, the latest in a string of global temperature records. The main island endured its highest average temperature since 1950, CWA forecaster Liu Pei-teng said. Temperatures the world over have soared in recent years as human-induced climate change contributes to ever more erratic weather patterns. Taiwan’s average temperature was 27.381°C as of Thursday, Liu said. Liu said the average could slip 0.1°C by the end of yesterday, but it would still be higher than the previous record of 27.009°C in 2016. "The temperature only started lowering around Oct. 18 or 19
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